Dead Eyes Watching

Chapter 4;Crumbling piece

The streets were nothing like they had been earlier that morning. What used to be a familiar neighborhood, where people casually walked their dogs or jogged in the morning sun, now looked like the set of a horror movie. Buildings were crumbling, smoke drifted lazily through the air, and the few people who were still outside seemed to be walking in a daze—some filming on their phones, others standing still as if waiting for the world to stop spinning.

Venus pushed the door open slowly, her hand resting on the handle of her knife. She glanced over her shoulder at Jun, who was clutching Izzy's hand a little too tightly. His eyes were wide, taking in the scene in front of him.

"What the...?" Jun murmured, his voice barely above a whisper.

Venus snorted, stepping out onto the street. "Welcome to the end of the world, Jun. Enjoy the view."

They stepped into the open, and Venus immediately scanned the area. A few people were lingering near the corners of buildings, some standing completely still, others walking aimlessly. It was almost eerie how fast the world had fallen apart, like everything had been hanging by a thread, and now the thread was gone.

"Stay close," Venus muttered, glancing at Jun as he kept Izzy by his side. He was still staring, wide-eyed, at the scene in front of him.

Across the street, a man was filming himself on his phone, smiling as if the apocalypse was just another backdrop for his next viral video. He had the camera pointed at himself, talking excitedly about how he was "documenting history" and "gaining followers even after the world ended."

Venus raised an eyebrow. "Oh, sure. Zombies are eating people, but let's make sure to get that selfie angle right."

Jun shot her a look, but he was too stunned to respond. He kept checking his phone, his fingers moving quickly as he scrolled through messages and maps. Venus rolled her eyes. "Let me guess, still tracking that refugee group?"

Jun nodded, not taking his eyes off the screen. "They're moving... heading for the outskirts of the city. But the connection's spotty. I don't know if we'll be able to catch up."

Venus let out a dry laugh. "Yeah, well, don't expect Google Maps to guide you to safety."

They continued walking, stepping over broken glass and debris. The further they went, the more disturbing the scene became. Some people were just... sitting on the sidewalks, staring blankly into space. A few of them had blood on their clothes, but they weren't moving. They weren't even reacting to the destruction around them.

Jun's face twisted in disbelief as they passed a woman standing perfectly still in the middle of the street, holding a teddy bear in one hand and a phone in the other. She wasn't filming anything—she was just standing there, staring at nothing.

"I don't get it," Jun whispered, his voice shaking. "How did it get this bad? This fast?"

Venus shrugged, stepping around the woman without a second glance. "The world was always one bad day away from collapsing. This is just the final push."

A loud crash echoed from down the street, and Venus tensed, her hand moving to her knife. A group of people was dragging something—a makeshift barricade, maybe—across the entrance of a tall building. Venus squinted, recognizing the place. It was the bank where Jun's girlfriend worked.

"There's your tower of doom," Venus muttered, jerking her chin toward the building. "You still think she's in there?"

Jun's grip tightened on his phone as he glanced up at the tall glass structure. It was mostly intact, but the front doors were smashed in, and the windows on the lower floors were cracked. A few people were huddled near the entrance, some holding weapons, others just staring at the mess like they were waiting for someone to tell them what to do.

"I have to check," Jun said quietly, his voice filled with determination.

Venus rolled her eyes. "Of course you do. Can't let the end of the world stop you from playing knight in shining armor."

Jun ignored the jab, his attention focused on the building. He tucked his phone into his pocket and took a deep breath. "We need to move quickly. The group leaving the city isn't going to wait for us."

Venus snorted. "The group leaving the city doesn't care about us. If we don't move fast, we'll be stuck here with Captain Instagram and his fan club."

As they approached the building, a man stumbled out from the entrance, his clothes covered in dirt and blood. He looked half-dead already, but he wasn't a zombie—just another survivor, barely holding it together. He glanced at Venus and Jun, his eyes wide with fear.

"They're everywhere," the man mumbled, his voice trembling. "Inside. They're... everywhere."

Venus didn't slow down. "Yeah, no kidding. It's almost like we're in the middle of an apocalypse or something."

Jun shot her a look, but Venus just shrugged. "What? I'm not sugarcoating it for him."

The man staggered away, disappearing into the chaos behind them. Venus watched him go, her eyes narrowing. "We don't have much time. If she's in there, we grab her and go. Got it?"

Jun nodded, his face set with grim determination. He reached for Izzy's hand, pulling her closer. "Stay close, Izzy. We're going to find Mommy, okay?"

Izzy didn't say anything, but she nodded, her little fingers gripping her father's hand tightly. Venus watched them for a moment before turning back toward the building.

"Let's make this quick," she muttered. "I don't feel like becoming lunch for a bunch of zombies today."

They stepped inside the bank, the shattered glass crunching under their feet. The air was thick with dust, and the sound of distant moans echoed through the halls. Venus could feel the tension rising in the air, like the whole building was holding its breath.

Jun's eyes scanned the room, searching for any sign of his girlfriend. Venus kept her hand on her knife, her body tense and ready for whatever came next.

"Let's hope she's still playing it safe," Venus muttered under her breath. "Because if she's not, we're going to have a serious problem."